Little Plaid Dress

When I used to live in a place with colder weather, my closet was FILLED with plaid.  I think I wore it everyday and it came to the point where the only thing missing was a full beard, an axe and a fetish for chopping down trees to make my log cabin.  Since lumberjacks consume massive amounts of smoked and cured meats, I was prepared for such situations. (As long as you took away the manual labor, I'm only it it for the bacon, axe and clothing.)  Back to the topic,  uh, plaid, yes plaid!  I think it's a very classic pattern and everyone should have at least one plaid shirt.  They're so warm and soft when they get worn in and they give/have so much character.  But this time, I'm talking to the ladies(or lady boys).  I love plaid, and I love baby doll dresses.  I've always been into 60's silhouettes and the 1995 movie Clueless.  Put the two together and you have a plaid, baby doll dress!  This dress isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I'm sure with some personal styling it could appeal to a wide audience.

I started by drafting a pattern from an existing garment and I altered it drastically by making the bodice shorter and eliminated the zipper.  I love these tools!  They make sewing and my life much easier.  The tracing wheel makes me think of a pizza cutter and I get so hungry for pizza when I draft patterns.  JESUS, WHAT I'D GIVE FOR A PIZZA RIGHT NOW.

Please excuse the HIDDY lighting.  I'm just starting out with my fancy camera and it's gotten so cloudy that I was lucky to get these in.  It's super short and I would hope the wearer would pair this up with tights and a pair or flats or ankle booties :)  She'll have legs for DAYS!  Think Twiggy and Cher from Clueless combined!  

 The fabric is a navy plaid with maroon and green accents that are quite subtle.  I left the selvage edge  because it doesn't fray and I think it adds a nice charm to something so neat and clean.  The belt is detachable and it can be slipped on really easily.  I just wanted to practice my sewing and made this dress in a couple of hours.

I little sketch I made when I was planning out the dress hours ago.  I love how long her legs look (well I drew them that way so hurr durrrrr)  I'm planning on having a 60's themed photo shoot with a friend modeling it.

I think it looks really gorgeous in natural light.  I miss simple, Classic pieces rather than those sheer blouses and blog shop dresses that have become fast fashion and girls end up reselling them or throwing them away :/  Maybe it's the hoarder in me but, clothes should be an investment and not a way to keep up with others so you can fit in.  Find the best quality, not quantity.  Nothing is more stylish than a piece that has you written all over and is classic.  I'm not the most fashionable person, but I can see it when someone just puts something on just because they think it's the new 'it/in' thing.  Excuse the preaching, but I really abhor people becoming Lemmings.  (Apparently, mass suicide among these rodents are a myth Disney created, creepy!)

P.S
I've recently had an exciting opportunity come up and I have to postpone my personal projects and focus on a new project :)  I'll fill you guys in once stuff starts to get get finalized.  I can't wait to share with you guys :)

Any comments, suggestions, refutations against my stance on fast fashion, therefore labeling yourself as a lemming? Leave me a comment.  I'd love to hear from you!

Made by hand

I love making things by hand.  My philosophy is, If I can make it, I don't buy it.  So Vodka, Macarons and yarn all have to be store bought for me.  You also save so much more money if you make yourself a knitted hat, rather than buying one at H&M/Forever21.  They over price their sweat shop labor goods.
Here are some projects that I recently finished. :)

My friend recently gave birth and I haven't had the time to give her the baby hat I made for her baby boy :)  It's the black one with the red pom-pom on it.  I also made and hand stuffed a whale from fabric scraps I took with me from San Francisco.  The orange hat is for me.  I hate hats that are thin and sewn together from knit fabric.  So cheap and flimsy, YUCK!

I hope her baby doesn't grow up too fast!  I love the pattern the yarn makes.  It's so fun and if you squint, you can pretend that the specks of color are racing to get to the top.  Who will win?!

It can be worn slouchy or you can turn the brim up if you're more pragmatic.  I can't wait to wear this when I go back home for Christmas :)  The yarn is an Alpaca wool and it's super soft and not scratchy.  If you could knit kittens, this is what it would feel like. (Don't knit kittens, that's gross)

I made this lumpy stuffed whale from a template I saw online.  I thought it was cute and gave it it a try. Well, her pattern was meh so I just added button eyes because it looked more sad hahahaha.  I'm looking for a small horn so I can make a Narwhal.  I remember dying this fabric a looong time ago.  It was an organic, woven bamboo and it was a really hideous Ecru color.  I decided to hand dye it a dark navy and I made a shirt out of it for a friend's birthday present a couple of years ago.  Wow time flies.  Now the scraps have become a Whale.  I love the little imperfections.  It means I have a long way to go and that I would have failed if I took Marine Biology.  I apologize to all marine biologist and whale enthusiasts for my gross interpretation of sea life.